Uganda: Office of the Prime Minister – Minister of State for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees – Torrential Rains in Mbale and Kapchorwa (31.07.2022)

Opinion: Is the PM promoting defiance?

““I want to advise Ugandans to go to petrol stations that have not hiked the prices. Two companies have not hiked their prices. Go and buy from those ones. These others will also follow suit because it’s now not necessary for any company to hike the price above Shs5,000” – Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja (Job Bwire – ‘Ugandans should boycott fuel stations that keep prices high- PM Nabbanja’ Daily Monitor, 20.01.2022).

We remember just mere years ago when the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government was going after “defiance”. Everyone was targeted for supporting defiance and planned corporate boycotts of businesses connected to the regime and it’s high ranking officials. There was an outrage and disgust.

The regime apologists defended going against defiance and civil disobedience. Now, the Prime Minister of the 11^th Parliament and this term is speaking well of boycott. As the fuel-crisis is deepening and the state isn’t doing anything directly to help it out.

Another minister has challenged the need for arresting the fuel-station operators who is sky-rocketing the prices. As it is not a cause-and-effect scenario, as the needs for petrol is bigger than the imports of it. That’s why the prices is going up and the stations are struggling to serve the nation. Therefore, the crisis is a border issue and a supply issue.

Its not the petrol stations fault… it is the whole supply-chain from importers to the producer. As the landlock nation has made it hectic on the border and the border-post has stifled the imports. Even with the temporary stop of testing for COVID-19 on the Ugandan side of border. The Republic haven’t directly patched the hurt. No, it continues to damage the Republic and everyone in need for petrol.

The PM is showing her character her, instead of acting and finding solutions… the PM is speaking of boycotting and avoiding the petrol stations, which has to high prices. The PM should address the rises prices and the reason for it. It isn’t the companies or the stations itself, which is directly at fault. As they are based on the imports of petrol and the possibility of getting steady supplies as well. Because, if it goes empty and such … just proves the reason for the rising prices, as the needs are bigger than the current supply.

The PM should address that and the words of defiance is what an opposition leader should do. The opposition should act in defiance and ask for civil disobedience. Ask the public to boycott and stop using certain services. As that is even possible elsewhere… and when your low on fuel, your low on fuel. Then you need to buy and get more to be able to drive…

So, the PM knows this, as she has 4 wheel-drive and an SUV. She drives around and enjoys the perks of her office. Her office and her title covers for everything. There is no worries and it’s all paid for. The fuel-crisis doesn’t hit home and neither does it damage any of the elites in the government either. They are living lavish and don’t have to worry about pricing or inflation for that matter.

That’s why the defiant and defiance against certain fuel-stations is a foolish move, as it is a populist selection or trick. The state should secure the supply-chain and proper reserves to stifle the prices. Instead, the state is asking for civil disobedience, which isn’t a vibe your supposed to get from high ranking officials. Good luck doing that on the road from up-country to anywhere. So, the PM should reconsider, but don’t expect so. She’s high and mighty, which means she will not face any real consequences for this. Except for writings like mine… Peace.

Opinion: Onek and the bloated cabinet

That a minister is disgruntled and fell left behind is natural at some points of time. Governments and the Head of State has their missions, objectives and their pet-pees, which gets the blunt priority and usage of government resources. That’s why certain ministries, parastatals, government entities, commissions and such can all get lost in the whirlwind.

Now that Minister Hilary Onek is blaming Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja. That was inevitable. There are so many cooks and so few posts to do things. It is not like the President have made proper mandates or ministries. That’s why their so many who is Prime Minister’s and under the Office of the Prime Minister there are even more appointed ministers too. One of them just happens to be Onek who is a junior to the senior Nabbanja.

This squabble was about time. We could expect similar happening in the agricultural sector or educational sector for that matter. There are plenty of ministers in the same field. In combination of appointed permanent secretaries as well. The President have made this bed and only the ones eating of the plate and not complaining can be happy. This is the bridge to patronage and paying people for loyalty. Not because the state or the republic can afford to pay over 80 ministers, but it does…

Onek versus Nabbanja is just what that has to go down. Not because any of these are good bureaucrats or leaders of prestige. No, these are just sycophants who are hoping to get into the good graces with His Excellency. Just so they can have plum-jobs and get paid for the bare minimum. Not like they have to try or succeed. Unless, things falls apart and the President looks like a fool. Than you will be send packing and be made an example of. However, if you keep cool and eat the bread. The President will have you in his favours and that what most of them does.

Now we are at a place where Onek is disgruntled. He wants to be favourable and be respected. As he has a role and Nabbanja is playing within his field. While Nabbanja is also his boss in some manners. This is why this will be a loud fight. They will look stupid and possibly foolish. Some of their reasons might have validity, but this is the game that Museveni have given them.

There too many cooks in the kitchen and it just has to end up in disaster. The dish will taste like bland and lack of seasoning. There will be no clear direction and everyone will just encircle each other. This is why the state and the ministers are headless chickens running around trying to find their coop.

Onek might have something on Nabbanja, but in the grand scheme of things this doesn’t matter. They are both just running stooges of the President and not having the all powers invested in them. The President can just direct them on a whim and also decree their commission beneath them. So, it is not like their voices has power or massive ability. They should be happy to get paid and sleep in peace at night.

Nabbanja will be arrogant and not show any sort integrity. The current Prime Minister doesn’t have that in her. No, she’s the vocal voice of the government and she’s exposing her a lot. Because, she cannot govern and neither can she operate as an effective state official. It is not like she has the experience or skills of Mbabazi or Rugunda for that matter. No, she is just a figure-head and the majestic figurine on a sail-boat. That’s just her role and she can act like the governator.

Onek should just chill. Unless, he wants to be moved to another useless post or get appointed to become Special Envoy for Bolivia. We just know he has nothing to offer and should be grateful to even have a office to go to. Peace.

Minister Hilary Onek letter to Prime Minister Nabbanja (29.10.2021)

The new cabinet isn’t that sharp [Museveni’s most intriguing Minister’s for 2021-26] Part I

When you have 80 Members of Parliament or the ability to appoint 80 people for various of Ministers. You should have a field day in appointing the geniuses and the wise to any of these ministries. There should be a capacity and ability to hand-pick the ones who are fitted to various of ministries. However in 2021 that’s a saga long forgotten.

President Yoweri Tibuhurwa Kaguta Museveni have now released the whole cabinet yesterday. I looked into to the two high profiled roles last night. However, I had a series last term, but doesn’t see it fitting this time to continue with the “Royal Court” series.

It is clear with this Cabinet that the loyalists, the ones who sought and fought for the Age Limit is still getting appointed. The ones who are close and abide the principals of the State House. They are getting rewarded and getting retained. That is clear here and it is visible.

Clearly, Gen. Moses Ali can never do anything wrong. He is just a forever presence. The agreement he made with the National Resistance Movement in 1986 must give Museveni reasons to retaining him. That agreement must give him a office and be viable character in government. In the year of 2021 and beyond.

The former Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga was demoted, but still got an office. She is the First Deputy Prime Minister and will still have some power. Also, be the Minister for East African Community Affairs.

Wife(y) Janet Museveni retains her control of the Ministry of Education and Sports. We know it is buy peace in the Middle East. Oh wait, it is to give her a Gucci bag and call it a day. This is her slush-fund and we are not seeing teachers or lectures getting a better life in their profession.

Then we have the return of Jim Muhwezi. His a forever stagnate fellow within the NRM. His gotten the Minister, Office of the President of Security. A man who was sacked several of time. The ex-Spy have gotten into scandals and been part of grand corruptions cases. This man is as corrupt as it gets and he will eat this term.

The former Secretary General of NRM, Justine Kasule Lumumba have now gotten appointed as Minister in Charge of General Duties/ Office of the Prime Minister. This is a smaller role and sort of unofficial “spokesperson” for the government and will not handle anything serious. Not like the previous person there had a lot of things to do.

Then you have Thomas Tayebwa, who has been an MP since 2016. Other roles than in Parliament is the Director of Cholmat Investments. His appointed as the Government Chief Whip. Last year he got known on social media for beating a UMEME staffer. Who happened to work on a line or transmission, which was illegally connected to the MPs house. Therefore, Tayebwa MP have some answers to give and not only ask forgiveness after. Especially, if the praise of Don Wanyama is true. That Thomas is a Christian and being generous. He should have shown that generosity towards the contracted worker of the UMEME. Not only show up at public functions and showing his giving hands.

Frank Tumwebaze MP had to be retained. He has had several of Ministries and he gets another one now. His a loyal man and was elected without any polls. As he was a unopposed MP in the General Election of 2021. This man is the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries. He will have three Minister of State underneath him. This is giving him vast power…

In no surprise Matia Kasaija is retained as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED). He surely must have a strong grip on the Ministry and the President trust him blindly on this. Since he has had this for years and continues to stay in office.

For some strange reason, which I cannot phantom. Gen. Jeje Odongo is becoming the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Somewhere is Sam Kuteesa laughing and wonder what happened to him. That the sanctions on his corrupt ass finally hit home and took away one pay-check from all the others his getting. Gen. Odongo is the most defensive minister that’s appointed. His so defensive and willing to defend the indefensible. That this man will blame the pen, but not the ones shooting the bullets. He will dismiss the ones writing about extra-judicial killings, but defend the ones shooting the innocent civilian. That is the sort of man Odongo is and expect that in his work this term.

This is enough for now. There will be a follow up. There is enough characters to make your mind implode on the spot. The Cabinet of 2021-26 will not generate greatness …. It is there to serve Museveni and that’s it. These folks are there because of their loyalty and they will follow him until he pushes them overboard. That’s why people get used and dropped like nothing. Expect someone to cry havoc in the coming days. It is inevitable. Peace.

PS: Part II is on its way, but will dig for every soul mentioned … just like always.

A brief look into the new Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja MP

“We no longer need violence in our country. We don’t want to give our country to these drug addicts who have recently come out and declared that they want to lead us. No way, our country loves Museveni, the president just needs women like Betty Kamya, to join him” – Robinah Nabbanja at a Fundraiser in Church in Kyalyamasasa in Kakumiro District about Bobi Wine

Robinah Nabbanja is now the official and the up-coming Prime Minister of the Republic in the 11^th Parliament. I will dwell quickly into her past and what she has done before. Her title before politics was a teacher and she held that work for three years at Uganda Martyrs School of Kakumiro.

In the last term she was the State Minster for Health (General Duties) in the 10^th Parliament (2016-21). She has now been promoted for greater tasks.

Before this she has been an Member of Parliament since 2011. Between 2001 to 2010 she was Resident District Commissioner in the districts of Pallisa, Busia and Budaka. Clearly appointed by the President and held in high regard back-then.

In 2014 she was beaten up after a wrangle in Kibaale district. She has also gone after Amama Mbaabzi and Gilbert Bukenya, when they had a falling out with the NRM. So, she likes to be in on the good side of Museveni.

The State House has appreciated her services, while the opposition have called her into question. As her education and her short stint as a secondary teacher begs to question her qualifications to be a high ranking official. Still, she has been able to get up the ranks.

Now, she isn’t a mere minister, but a Prime Minister. There she will have a lot of power, but also thread the water carefully. As the President will follow her moves and she cannot step out wrong. The previous PM’s has a long history not only in the NRM but in association with Museveni.

Don’t expect her to revolutionize anything. She can meddle into taxi disputes and vote for “Yes” to abolish the Presidential Age Limit. However, don’t expect the Office of the Prime Minster to be running like clockwork. It will be a enterprise all in favour of Museveni now and he will just be one call away.

This Prime Minister will not run it smoothly like Mbabazi or Rugunda. No, she will be something else. Though she has three deputies and that will not make her day-job any easier. These being 1st Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Kadaga, 2nd Deputy Prime Minister Gen. Moses Ali and 3rd Deputy Prime Minister Lukia Nakadama.

So, you can go figure. However, with her history and short time in any ministry. Also short time in Parliament in general. Her appointment as Prime Minister is questionable and she is clearly not the most capable to be there. This will be ride and she will regret accepting this. Peace.

Opinion: Hon. Cheptoris the people complain, because your not doing your job

 

“When I hear people complaining that our houses are being washed away by floods, I wonder! Floods have no eyes that when they are moving, they are looking for their homes. We are experiencing frequent flooding and loss of property, prolonged drought, drying of springs and wells because we have degraded our wetlands” – Minister of Water and Environment Sam Cheptoris (Irene Abalo Otto – ‘You’re to blame for devastating effects of floods, minister tells Ugandans’ 30.01.2020, Daily Monitor).

Some people shouldn’t quit their day-job, he should have continued with whatever he did before politics. Before he ever accepted the nomination and the opportunity to serve as an Minister in Government. Because your not cutting it, when your blaming the public for putting up structures. When your government clearly haven’t studied, gotten the public educated nor the ones allowing for the building to happen in the first place.

The reasons for the landslides aren’t only in wetlands, it is plenty of other reasons too. To much rain, to little safe areas and no education of the villages that get taken by the rain. Not like the public can just move and get shelter elsewhere. They got to get help and educated by the state. However, the state cannot afford, nor are they designing structures to resilience against the landslides nor the flooding in general.

That is the job of the Ministry and the ones involved in the Disaster Preparedness. Even with some help from the Office of the Prime Minister should help to resolve something too. But, it is much easier to throw the people under the bus.

I will quote one study, just to prove the ignorance of the presiding Minister.

PLOS Research Article from 2016 states this: “This study reveals that failure to overcome the effects to landslides and floods in disaster prone communities of Uganda are mainly due to deep rooted links to poverty, culture and unsatisfactory knowledge. Good farming practices and support from the government and implementation partners were shown to be effective in enabling the community to resist the effects disasters. This calls for support in designing more focused interventions targeting reduction of these underlying factors as well as involvement of all stakeholders in scaling the effective coping strategies in order to build resilience in this community and other similarly affected areas” (PLOS – ‘Coping Strategies for Landslide and Flood Disasters: A Qualitative Study of Mt. Elgon Region, Uganda’ 11.07.2016).

Since the study is about 4 years old, it is surely is relevant today. It shows the weaknesses in the stakeholders and within the government. That will all the occurring landslides and flooding, have not abided to it. They have not invested nor tried to comprehend the scale of an operation to help the ones in need nor build the strategies for resilience. It is easier to pin the people who build structures, than the ones who allow them and the ones who earn funds on building it.

The Minister should consider that. Not expect it. Since he could easily say this today. He might say something similar tomorrow. Peace.

Uganda: OPM – Government Statement on Country Preparedness to prevent the Invasion of Locusts (22.01.2020)

Opinion: Lt. Col. Nakalema aim wrong with her 4th December march

Lt. Colonel Edith Nakalema has today launched the first public march sponsored by the outfit she’s running. That will be a state owned march on the 4^th December 2019 with the special guest, His Excellency, the Fountain of Honour, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

What is really colourful about this enterprise is the message and the slogan of it all. That is the beautiful wording of “A Corruption-Free Uganda: It Starts With Me”. It is really rich coming from the State House. Really ironic and special, that the unique Anti-Corruption Unit of the State House are usually catching the small fishes, but not touching the kitchen cabinet nor anyone in close association with the President.

That’s why its very rich of the State House and its outfit to have a theme like this. Like the people don’t know whose doing it and whose letting the grand corruption happen. The President has even accepted the Presidential Handshake. He has accepted that businesses get started, get tax-holidays as long as he gets kickbacks. Not like he will let any opportunity of a short-sighted funds go away. Even if it means selling the most prominent building in Kampala, Mabira Forest or anything else. As long as he can get something out of a deal, he will do it eventually.

President Museveni and his handlers will secure that, that’s why his not touched, even with abundance of agencies combatting and securing the government tenders, procurement and budget. However, none of them have ever had the capacity to arrest or charge Amama Mbabazi, Sam Kuteesa, Kahinda Otafiire, Elly Tumwiine and so-on. They are all living lavish, but came out of the bush-war piss-poor. You go figure how their wealth got started.

With this all in mind, the theme should be rewrote, “It Starts with the President”. That would have been accurate. It would have targeted the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and their cronies. Instead, they go after the chicken-thieves and the ones that has no power, no suction or connection within the deep administration. The ones who are rightfully wrong in their actions, misusing local government tenders, creating ghost teachers and whatnot. Still, the biggest culprits, the ones who does it on large scale, the ones who has made and forged the system. They are walking beside the President, they are appointed by him and are untouchables.

That’s why, if the Anti Corruption Unit was sincere, they would have targeted not “me” but the President, Museveni himself. But she did so, she wouldn’t see another day in her office. So, we do understand. She doesn’t want to bite the hand that feed her. We all get that, but if they wanted to be honest. The aim should be at the King, then you best not miss. Peace.

Opinion: President Museveni wants hoes in every area code…

“I’ve got hoes, I’ve got hoes

In different area codes (Area), area codes (Codes)

Hoes! Hoes, hoes, in different area codes (Area)

Area codes (Codes)

I’ve got hoes!” – Nate Dogg featuring on Ludacris ‘Area Codes’ (2001).

Earlier this month the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Members of Parliaments (MPs) was complaining that the lack of hoes produced in their district would cost them voters in 2021. As the President already had promised the farmers and voters this in November 2015. Now we are four years down the line and still no funds for it. However, he has solved that within two weeks of the complaint. Even if he wrote a letter and asked what happened in 2015.

“So What happened?” Well, this has happen:

“President Yoweri Museveni has directed the Finance Ministry to raise a supplementary budget worth UGX 80 billion for procurement of 8 million hoes to be distributed to farmers” (NTV Uganda, 29.10.2019).

What is still rich by this, the procurement of 8 million hoes is still lacking the 18 million promised in 2015. This means there is a shortfall of 10 million hoes. Not enough for the estimates done back then. This is patching the hurt, even if it is an expensive cost for a old-school tool for farming. Instead of getting tractors or even better irrigation tools. His securing the small-scale farmers just a tool, which will be destroyed within a few seasons. Not something lasting or changing the circumstances.

Therefore, this is a waste of funds, waste of time to procure and waste of delivery. Only done because the President wants to keep one promise. But he has had plenty more, which he never cared much for to keep. Nevertheless, who can say “no” to some hoes. They needs to be every area code. The President learned that from Ludacris and Nate Dogg. That is another rap.

With this in mind. The President is partly honouring the old pledge of his. But only when the MPs was bitching and in fear of losing their hoes, sorry their voters in their constituencies. Not like the delivery of these are showing proper governing. Because, the Office of Prime Minister never explained why it never was procured, never shown any reason for why it didn’t follow up on the pledge, neither asking for funds in the budgets years later.

That is why its bad to ask for supplementary budgets to fulfil old pledges. This is only done to help prepare and soften the days ahead of the next election. Not because the state really did care. Because of it did. It would have gotten it in December 2015 or at least done something about in 2016, which it didn’t do.

So let me end on how Museveni might be thinking:

“Man I’m just scheming on new hoes

I already forgot about my last broad” Rico Love on ‘What About The Rest of Us?’ on the “Southpaw Soundtrack” (2015).

Enough of this. Peace.